February 02, 2014

Philip Seymour Hoffman, 46, Dead: He gave us the best acting in him

Talk about bankable brandnames. If we heard that a new film had Philip Seymour Hoffman in it, we bellied up to the box office and bought a ticket. No need to pore over the reviews. His Academy Award was for "Capote." He depicted that complex tormented soul whose sanctuary was writing - and booze.

Now, as The Wall Street Journal reports, this 46 year old actor who never failed to capture and transmit a character is dead. He was found in his Manhattan apartment today by a screenwriter. As yet, the cause of death is unknown. Here is that coverage in WSJ (sub. req.) Now the man who once played Capote and the one who gave us Tony Soprano can swap stories about the roles they miss doing the most.

Does genuis eat its young?

UPDATE

According to The New York Times the cause of death was a drug overdose. Here is that article. In the past, Hoffman had struggled with substance abuse, recovered, had a relapse and seemed to recover. Apparently, the addiction finally won out.